Gas-generator.



D. D. BARNUM.

GAS GENERATOR.

AlPLIoATIoN 111.111 1113.1, 1912.

1,100,941, Patented June 23, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANDURAPM 1:0..WASHING'IC'N.DA C.

'imrrnn srafrns Aire Frictia 'DANA D. BARNUM, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAS-GENERATOR.

Application filed March 1, 1912. Serial No. 680,826.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, Dana D. BARNUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at iVorcester, in the county of "Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful improvement in Gras-Generators, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to that class of gas generators in which steam is applied to incandescent carbonaceous fuel in an inclosed chamber for the production of water gas as the basis of a carbureted gas suitable for illuminating purposes.

The objects of my invention are to increase the economy of manufacture, to improve the quality and to secure greater uniformity of the gaseous product, and to place the operation of the generator under more complete control. The above objects, among others, I secure by the herein described construction of the generator, the novel features being pointed out in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical central sectional view of a gas generator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane of the broken line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the adjustable link connecting the movable grate bars with a motor.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

The generator illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a fuel heating chamber 1 inclosed by a circular wall 2 and having a concentric opening 3 at its upper end for the admission of fuel. At the lower end of the fuel chamber 1 is a grate 4;. Beneath the grate i is a chamber 5 into which the ashes fall from the grate.

In the generator illustrated in the accompanying drawings the chamber 5 is provided with a hopper shaped bottom 6 and is closed at its lower end by a rotary valve 7, which is periodically rotated by an attendant to allow the accumulation of ashes in the chamber 5 to fall into a lower ash receptacle 8. Communicating with the chamber 5 is an o-pening 9 through the wall of the generator for the admission of air beneath the grate 4i in order to support combustion while the fuel is being brought to an incandescent state, an upward current being established through the chamber 1 and exit passage 9l at the top of the chamber.

The grate a is provided with a central opening 10 beneath which is the delivery end o-f a steam pipe 11 communicating through a pipe 11a with a boiler or other source of steam supply under pressure, not shown. The steam pipe 11 is arranged to supply an upwardly directed jet of steam through the opening 10 of the grate 4 into-the fuel chamber 1 with a force due to the steam pressure in the boiler. The quantity and force of steam delivered through the pipe 11 is controlled by an attendant by means of a hand valve 12 in the pipe 11. A pipe 13 connects the supply pipe 11a with an annular pipe 14 inclosing the generator. The flow of steam into the annular pipe 14k is controlled by an attendant by means of a hand valve 15 in the pipe 13, which also contains a check valve 15L to prevent the reverse flow of steam through the pipe 13.

The annular pipe 14 is connected with a series o-f steam nozzles passing through the wall 2 of the generator in radial directions and above the grate t. These nozzles are arranged in dierent horizontal planes and in staggered relation to each other. The lower nozzles 16 enter the fuel chamber 1 a short distance above the grate t, the nozzles 17 in the next tier are located a short distance above the plane of the nozzles 16 and in staggered relation thereto, while the nozzles 1S in the upper tier are located in a still higher horizontal plane and in staggered relation to the nozzles 17. The flow of steam through each of the nozzles 1G, 17 and 18 is controlled by an attendant by means of hand valves 19.

The steam supply pipe 112L contains a hand operated valve 2O between the branch pipe 13 and the boiler. The pipe 13 between the annular pipe 14 and the check valve 15,a is connected with the steam supply pipe 11l between the valve 20 and the boiler by means of a pip-e 21 provided with a hand valve 22. The annular pipe 111 is, therefore, capable of being supplied with steam from the steam supply pipe 11a through the pipe 13 or through the pipe 21 at the will of the operator. By closing the valve 2O and opening the valve 22, the annular pipe 14 and its connected radial steam nozzle may be supplied with steam while steam is cut ofi from the steam pipe 11, the flow of steam from the annular pipe 11 into the steam pipe 11 being prevented by the check valve 15a. By closing the valves 15 and 22 and opening the valves 12 and 20, steam may be admitted through the steam pipe 11 beneath the grate while steam is entirely out off from the annular pipe 14E and its connected radial steam nozzles. The flow of steam through the pipe 11 and also through each of the radial nozzles 16, 17 and 18 may be accurately controlled by using' the valves 12 and 15 as throttle valves.

The steam pipe 11 is provided with a vertical mouthpiece or nozzle 23 located beneath the opening 10 of the grate, the nozzle being slightly flaring, as represented in Fig. 1, and capable of delivering a powerful jet of steam gradually diverging through the fuel chamber 1, as indicated by the broken lines Qel, 211. lThe force of the steam jet through the pipe 11 and its disposition in an upward direction beneath the opening 10 of the grate tends to force steam through the interstices of the fuel in the center of the fuel chamber. To the extent, however, in which the steam from the pipe 11 is forced through the center of the fuel the annular space 25, triangular in cross section, between the broken lines 9A- and the wall 2 of the generator is deprived of steam. The annular space is supplied with steam through the radially7 disposed nozzles 16, 17 and 13, an examination of the incandescent fuel through the fuel supply opening 3 enabling the amount of steam required in each of the individual nozzles to be determined by the operator and controlled by opening cr closing the hand valves 19.

The valves 2O and 2Q have their stems extended above the floor 26 and are provided with hand wheels Q7, 27, enabling them to be operated by an attendant on the floor above the generator during the initial ignition of the fuel. During this period the valve 20 may be closed to entirel'r shut off steam from the pipe 11, the valves 19 opened to admit steam only through the radial nozzles 1G, 17 and 13 and enabling the flow of steam through said nozzles to be controlled by the valve Q2 used as a throttling valve.

The grate e consists of a series of rocking grate bars mounted upon supports 28, each bar having a depending lug 29 which is pivotally attached to a bar 30 capable of sliding lengthwise and pivotally connected by a .linl 31 with a crank 32 of a motor 33. The link 31 comprises two sections 34 and 35. The section 3st is provided with a fixed stud 3G which slides in a slot 37 in the section rl`he section 35 carries two stops 38, 38 which are adjustably attached to the section 35 on opposite sides of the stud 36.

l,/Vhen the stops 33 are attached close to the stud 3G, the maximum movementI is imparted to the grate bars, but by separating the stops 38 a lost motion occurs and the movement of the grate bars is correspondingly lessened. By adjusting each of the stops 38, the movement of the grate bars in either direction may be limited. The motor 33 will, therefore, impart a continuous shaking movement to the grate bars with the amplitude of their movement so adjusted as to be just sufficient to keep the grate free from the accumulation of ashes.

The operation of the generator is as follows :-Fuel is fed to the chamber 1 through the concentric opening 3 and ignited at the bottom. An air draft is then supplied through the opening 9 to support combustion until the fuel has become incandescent. During the progress of combustion the air current following the lines of least resistn ance passes principally upward through the annular space adjacent to the outer wall of the generator. This results from the commonly practised method of feeding fuel through the concentric opening 3, which soon forms a conical heap in the center of the fuel chamber, as indicated by the broken line 39, Fig. 1. During the continued feeding of fuel the larger' pieces roll down the sides of the cone, causing the interstices to be larger next the wall of the generator than in the center of the chamber and affording freer passage for the current of air. Combustion will, therefore, proceed more Vig orously next the wall of the generator unless checked with the resultant formation of clinlers, which later are impermeable to the action of steam during the gas producing period. I prevent the formation of clinkers in the annular space adjacent the wall of the generator by the introduction of steam through the radially disposed nozzles 16, 17 and 18 simultaneously with the introduction of air beneath the grate, the fiow of steam being varied in each of the nozzles by means of the hand valves 19 according to the progress of combustion in different parts of the generator.

inasmuch as the steam may pass more easily through the cellular mass of coal near the wall of the fuel chamber than through the compact central core of the fuel, it is obvious that the outside cellular fuel would receive more than its share of steam in case the steam were admitted uniformly throughout the space under the grate. rllhis would result in serious unevenness in ac tion in the central core and in the outside cellular portion of the fuel, the action in this cellular portion being most rapid and being completed first. I overcome this difficulty, as has been described, by directing steam upwardly through the center of the grate with sufficient force to drive it into and through the compact central core of the fuel. I then supply a proper quantity of steam to the outer cellularl portion of the fuel by means of the radial nozzles extending inwardly through the wall of the fuel chamber. It is obvious that as the character of the coal used varies, the relation between the compactness of the central core and the porosity of the cellular portion of the fuel will vary. This makes necessary a different adjustment of the relative forces with which the ,steam is blown into the central core and into the cellular portion of the fuel. Therefore, as has been described, I provide independent adjustment to regulate the flow of steam into these two portions of the fuel with the important result that I am enabled to maintain the fuel at a substantially uniform temperature throughout each horizontal plane.

As a further means tending to maintain the fuel at a uniform temperature, I have provided the movable grate, the action of which may be adjustably regulated as already described. This feature makes it possible to maintain a more uniform temperature in a vertical direction while the regulation of the flow of steam through the different supply nozzles acts to make the temperature more uniform in horizontal planes. An accumulation of ashes in the grate will force the base of the incandescent fuel above its proper position in relation to the radial nozzles supplying steam through the wall of the fuel chamber. By properly adjust ing the action of the grate, it is kept at all times free and clear of ashes and the base of the incandescent portion of the fuel in proper position vertically with relation to the radial nozzles.

Then the fuel has been evenly and uniformly ignited and brought to the desired degree of incandescence, air is shut off by a gate valve 9b checking the further combustion of fuel, and steam is admitted through the steam pipe 11 in a divergent jet, as indicated by the broken lines 24, 24, and an increased pressure given to the steam jets delivered by the radial nozzles 16, 17 and 18 by opening the valve 15. As a. small amount of steam is required during the initial period of fuel combustion, the pipe 21 may be a small pipe compared to the remaining steam pipes, the reinforcement of the supply to the radial nozzles being accomplished through the larger pipes 11a and 13.

In the actual operation of the generator the control of steam may be principally accomplished by an attendant on the floor 26 as follows z-The valves 12 and 15 are adjusted with the proper openings to allow the desired quantities of steam to pass through the pipe 11 and the nozzles 16, 17 and 18 during the production of gas. he valve 2O is closed during the initial ignition of the fuel, thereby shutting offl steam from the pipes 11 and 13. The valve 22 is opened to allow the proper amount of steam to pass through the nozzles 16, 17 and 18 while the fuel is being brought to a state of incandescence, the check valve 15a during this period preventing the flow of steam into the pipe 11. When the fuel has been brought to a proper state of incandescence, the valve 20 is opened by means of its hand wheel 27, allowing the flow of steam through the pipe 13 in order to supply the nozzles 16, 17 and 18, and also through the pipe 11 to supply the central upwardly directed jet through the vertical mouthpiece 23.

I claim,

1. In a gas generator, comprising a fuel chamber provided with a central opening at its upper end for the admission of fuel and with a grate at its lower end for the support of the fuel, the combination of means adjacent the central portion of the grate for forcing an upwardly directed jet of steam under pressure through the central portion of the fuel, and means for admitting steam under pressure in a plurality of jets through the side walls of the fuel chamber above the grate.

2. VIn a gas generator comprising a fuel chamber provided with a central opening at its upper end for the admission of fuel and with a grate at its lower end for the support of the fuel, the combination of means for admitting steam under pressure in an upwardly directed jet beneath the central section of the grate, means for admitting steam under pressure in a plurality of ets through the side wall of the fuel chamber above the grate, and means for independently controlling the flow of steam in each of said jets.

3. In a gas generator of the class described, means for admitting steam under pressure in an upwardly directed jet beneath the central portion of the grate, means for admitting steam under pressure in a plurality of jets through the side wall of the fuel chamber and above the grate, said side jets being arranged in different horizontal planes, and means for controlling the flow of steam through each of said jets.

4. In a gas generator, comprising a fuel chamber provided with a central opening at its upper end for the admission of fuel and with a grate at its lower end for the support of the fuel, the combination of means for forcing an upwardly directed jet of steam under pressure through the central compact mass of fuel, and means for admitting steam under pressure in a plurality of jets through the side walls of the fuel chamber to the outer cellular mass of fuel.

5. In a gas generator of the class described, means for supplying an upwardly directed jet of steam under pressure to the central section of the fuel chamber and at its lower end, means for supplying a plurality of radially directed steam jets to the fuel chamberJ and means for regulating the flow of steam in each of said steam jets.

G. ln a gas generator of the class described, a circular fuel chamber having a concentric opening at its upper end for the admission of fuel, a grate at the lower end of the fuel chamber for supporting the fuel, provided with an opening in its center, a pipe communicating with a source of steam under pressure and arranged to discharge an upwardly directed jet of steam through said grate opening7 and means for regulating the flow of steam through said pipe.

7. ln a gas generator, the combination with a fuel chamber having an opening at the top for the admission of fuel and a grate at the bottom for the support of fuel, of a steam supply pipe communicating with a source of steam under pressure, a steam pipe connecting said supply pipe and the bottom of the fuel chamber with its delivery end arranged to impart an upward direction to a jet of steam, an annular pipe inclosing the fuel chamber and communicating with said steam supply pipe and with the fuel chamber above the grate, a check valve between said annular pipe and said steam supply pipe, an independent communication between said annular pipe and said supply pipe, and valves for controllingthe flow of steam through each of said pipes.

8. In a gas generator comprising a fuel chamber and a grate for supporting the fuel in said chamber, means for blowing steam into the fuel in an upwardly directed jet through the central portion of the grate, means for supplying steam to the fuel lying above the edge portions of the grate, and means for independently controlling the flow of steam through the central portion of the grate and the flow of steam to the fuel lying above the edge portions of the grate.

9. In a gas generator, comprising a fuel chamber provided with a grate for supporting the fuel in said chamber, the combination of means for forcing an upwardly directed jet of steam under pressure through the central compact mass of fuel, and means l for admitting steam under pressure in a plurality of jets to the outer cellular mass of fuel, said jets being proportioned to maintain a substantially uniform temperature throughout each horizontal Zone of the fuel.

DANA D. BARNUM.

vWitnesses PnNnLors CoirERBAoI-r, NELLIE WHALEN.

Commissioner of Patents. 

